The Many Words Of A Flower
by Magillyana
Summary: Ino's point of view of her life so far. Very slight Genma/Ino


**The Many Words Of Flowers**

Here I am, stuck in this tiny little shop my Mom and Dad set up. It's really boring to be standing here all day with these roses.

_Yet, it is also a good time for me to reminisce my younger days in the ninja academy._

I watched every detail of the rose, admiring its crimson colour and the beads of water flowing down its petals.

_Sigh_.

I was like that rose.

_Until I began to wilt._

*Fade out*

In the ninja academy, I was well-liked and popular because people thought I was cool.

I tried my best to live up to my popular persona as the "Beauty Queen of the food chain".

Honestly, I'm feeling like shit. I just cursed, yeah. You'll see why.

Oh there she is, slutty and bitchy as ever. Always flirting with Sasuke. Wait, I shouldn't be thinking that. _At least it shouldn't come from me. _

_But wait,has she ever spared a thought for my feelings? I'd be damned if she did_.

Even during our fight at the Chunnin Exams, I pulled my punches.

Because in a flash, I saw the little girl I once knew who was helpless, while we were still studying at the academy.

_It happened so quick, the most I could manage,was only to slap her._

I thought that doing something good for once would help make my life happier in school.

Seeing the helpless little child she was, crying by the kerb of the road, I took a deep breath and approached her.

From then on, I knew the girl as Sakura Haruno.

She always hung out with me, being the shy little girl she was or at least, _what I thought she was_.

In school, I was the top student.

I did my best to comfort her whenever she failed as her close friend and put aside my free time to help her with

our flower arranging assignments.

Yet, just when we started becoming best friends,

_everything came crashing down when she told us group of girls that she liked Sasuke._

I kept mum about it. True, I had a crush on him too,_ but I wasn't going to tell Sakura._

In fact, I was going to give him up and back off from this competition.

(Yeah, really noble huh. But since my life is already so suckish, I wouldn't expect any less haters out there thinking what a fake bitch I am once they read this.)

Hoping, that she'd be happy from it. She was like a sister to me. _I wanted to give her the best. _

_Yet, I couldn't say the same for her._

She called me out one afternoon after class, and I thought she had some cool stuff to share with me like she always had.

Her expression was different this time, as we sat under a tree, full of cherry blossoms.

There was an awkward silence between us which I never had before. Something was definitely wrong.

_Of course, I asked._

That was when, she started ramming her hurtful words into my heart.

The time she stabbed me with her words replayed like a broken radio, _over and over again._

_How did she know? I never told her._

I bled internally. When she decided, that we ended our friendship there and compete for Sasuke's love. I didn't want that. I never wanted that. But I was tongue tied to say anything and I just fell to my knees.

My teammates Shikamaru and Choji were worried for me. I couldn't eat for days or even weeks. Not even my favouriteThey were afraid I was Bulimic.

_I wasn't. I just had no appetite. Not even for my favourite cherry tomatoes or pudding._

At home, I would force myself some ramen or bento my mother cooked and then I'd stay in my room all day, not wanting to do anything.

I sketched my feelings out on paper and looked at it.

It was a stream of tears flowing like a river *literally* down the cracked cheeks of a girl.

I wasn't able to take it anymore, as my eyes watered and I began sobbing.

Like any heartbreak issues, I got over it after a few weeks but everytime I bumped into Sakura, my heart ached with misery, as I was reminded that the appreciation she showed to me after I helped her so much, was to actually end our friendship and become rivals over a guy.

Of course, I was upset, that we were on par for the Chunnin exams.

I was also happy at the same time that she had gotten stronger.

She, however, was really upset she couldn't beat me.

_Even at that point in time when I lost, I relented to my soft side_ and encouraged her that she had already outgrown herself in ability.

_And that she had blossomed into a beautiful flower._

Two years passed.

We all changed in our stature and appearance. Many things have happened over these two years.

Sasuke's gone missing. Naruto went into training with Jiraiya, one of the Sannin. *God bless his soul.*

Now that Naruto was back, I wished him luck on becoming a Chunnin. Man, he's years late!

_Just as I thought I was finally free of my misery._

Then we had, a new guy called Sai who replaced Sasuke.

He was equally good looking and even though Sakura told me he wasn't the same as Sasuke, I decided to test my abilities.

He called me gorgeous and got a hell of a beating from Sakura. I was embarrassed at such a strong word on first impression.

Then after time, I overheard his conversation with Naruto that he called me gorgeous because Sakura beat him for calling her ugly.

_I was heartbroken. Was I really that bad looking that he had to lie?_

Shikamaru and Choji noticed my unhappiness immediately when they heard and decided to bring me to a barbeque to cheer me up. It was our favourite place.

I really appreciated having these two brothers who were always looking out for me and helping me up when I was down. Even though I was such a bitch to them when it came to commanding. I sounded like their mother.

But that's what Asuma wanted me to do. _Those were his last words._

Asuma's death affected Shikamaru deeply. I could tell. He picked up smoking ever since. Honestly. I HATE IT WHENEVER HE SMOKES. But I put that aside because he wouldn't smoke in front of me, but rather excuse himself outside to do so.

He's such a nice guy, if not for him being so lazy, he could become Hokage.

Even though Shikamaru wanted to punch Sai for being such a dickhead, I stopped him. _We can't change what others think of us._

Shikamaru is a smartass. He would only loosen his genius strings whenever someone bullied me for any reason, only concerned about teaching them a lesson.

_But it is also because of that, which makes me respect him for who he is._

We then had to create a barrier to seal some Three-Tailed Giant Turtle. I wasn't able to maintain my chakra well even though I was a medical ninja.

_That really demoralised me. _

Plus the fact the Hinata, who wasn't a medical ninja, was handling it ten times better than me.

_I felt really useless and weak._

I was better at stuff in school than anyone else, _but not here._

*fades out*

And yet, here I am, still waiting, for someone who really appreciates me to come by.

Just when I sighed again, my Mom's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Ino! Genma's here!"


End file.
